Abstract

The author analyzes the concept of Enlightenment as described in the monograph “Medi-ums of the Enlightenment: obscene deviation” by Oleh Perepelytsia. The author notes that O. Perepelytsia considers Enlightenment as a medial phenomenon and identifies three mediums of the Enlightenment: language, sex and money. The author further notes that the main drawback of O. Perepelitsi’s concept is too broad understanding of the Enlightenment. Also O. Perepelytsia puts universal mediums in the stead of specific mediums of Enlightenment. Sex fulfilled its intermediary functions even in primitive society, and continues to do that today. Sexuality is very important for the European Enlightenment, but in the Chinese Enlight-enment it does not play any special role. However, even when we talk about Europe, it is nec-essary to find out the conditions under which sex becomes a medium of the Enlightenment. Money for Enlightenment is not a medium, but one of the factors that determine the state of human nature before it is subjected to education and training. Language is a full-fledged medi-um only in Chinese Enlightenment. In Europe there is a trend towards the transformation of language into the object of education. To prove this thesis the author compares the views of Locke, Plato and Confucius.